Revelation 3:14-22
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Laodicea – The Apostate Church
Prophetically The Modern Church
Chapter 3
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write – “to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans.” Laodicea was part of a tri-city group along with Colossae and Hierapolis. About forty-five miles from Philadelphia. Colossae was about ten miles to the east, and Hierapolis, about six miles to the north. It was strategically located at the junction of two important roads: the east-west road leading from Ephesus into the interior, and the north-south road from Pergamum to the Mediterranean Sea. Banking, black wool and medicine were its three important industries. Laos – people. Dicea -rule. “The People Rule”
“Its name designates it as the Church of mob rule, the democratic Church, in which everything is swayed and decided by popular opinion, clamor and voting.” Jospeh A. Seiss
14 These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation – Amen is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “truth,” “affirmation,” or “certainty.” Cf. Col. 1:15-16; Col 2:1.
15 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth – spit (emeō) literally means to vomit. The city’s water supply traveled from the mountains to the south through an underground aqueduct before reaching the city. When it left the mountains, it was ice cold, but by the time it finally arrived it was dirty, and lukewarm.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked – They thought they were rich. In contrast to Smyrna which thought they were poor.
18 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich – Cf. 1Peter 1:7
18 and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness – Cf. Isaiah 64:6; Zech 3:3-4.
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me – “The occupant must open the door. That is, he must repent of his pride and self-sufficiency, his human wisdom, and his cowardly neutrality.” (Leon Morris)
“We must not talk about setting the church right, we must pray for grace each one for himself, for the text does not say, ‘If the church will open the door,’ but ‘If any man hear my voice and open the door.’ It must be done by individuals: the church will only get right by each man getting right.” (Spurgeon)
21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne – Overcomers are promised seven times in these seven letters:
- The right to eat from the tree of life (2:7),
- Protection from the second death (2:11),
- The hidden manna (2:17), A white stone with a new name written on it (2:17),
- Authority to rule the nations with an iron scepter (2:26–27),
- Dressed in white (3:5), never blotted out of the book of life but having Christ confess their names before God the Father and the holy angels in heaven (3:5),
- To be made a pillar in God’s temple (3:12),
- The right to sit with Jesus on His throne (3:21)
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
“The letters to the seven churches are a remarkably complete treatment of problems that face the church today. The recurring dangers of losing their first love (2:4), of being afraid of suffering (2:10), doctrinal defection (2:14-15), moral departure (2:20), spiritual deadness (3:1-2), not holding fast (v. 11), and lukewarmness (vv. 15-16) are just as prevalent today as they were in first-century churches. Because these letters come from Christ personally, they take on significance as God’s final word of exhortation to the church down through the centuries. The final appeal is to all individuals who will hear. People in churches today would do well to listen.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament Copyright 1983, SP Publications, Inc. All rights reserved
Leave a Reply 
